Nascar Suicide: Texas Man Kirk Franklin Shoots Self During NRA 500

A Texas man has died of apparent suicide after using his gun to shoot himself on the infield of Texas Motor Speedway during Nascar's NRA 500 race. 

42-year-old Kirk Franklin of Saginaw, Tex. reportedly got into an altercation with nearby spectators before shooting himself at 10:30 p.m. according to Fort Worth Police Department spokesman Daniel Segura. The police report claims Franklin's body was found in the back seat of a truck.

According to ABC Local, Cpl. Tracey Knight of the FWPD says that alcohol may have been a factor.

Many people were calling the National Rifle Association sponsoring a race so soon after the Newtown shooting tasteless, including Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy.

Nascar spokesperson David Higdon responded to Higby on Friday saying, "Our fans, racing teams and industry partners come from all walks of life and thus have varying points of views and opinions. As a sport, we are in the business of bringing people together for entertainment, not political debate."

And now, there's this. The fact that a man brought a gun to the event and then used it to kill himself near other people is a public relations black eye for both the NRA (which has been busy the last few months fighting off wave after wave of attempted new gun legislation) and NASCAR. The NASCAR suicide debacle is also putting the security measures surrounding the races under intense scrutiny. No guns are allowed inside Texas Motor Speedway, however, Franklin appeared to have no problem getting his gun inside.

What do you think? Will the "NASCAR suicide" cause the organization to re-think its partnership with the NRA? Will the NRA face a new wave of scrutiny and legislation following this latest shooting?

Sound off in the comments and stick with Mstarz for the latest in trending news.